The Netherlands is a land blessed with wonders, innovations, creative energy and the spirit to break any barrier that says 'Impossible'. Below are some interesting facts about the Netherlands.

FACT #9: An average of 2 kilograms of drop or Dutch salty-sweet liquorice is consumed by each person per year with over 80 "typical" kinds of liquorice available to choose from.

FACT #8: The Dutch are the world's biggest coffee lovers after the Scandinavians, consuming an average of 140 litres of cofffee every year or 3.2 cups a day.

FACT #7: The Dutch have been making cheese since 400 AD and continue to be the largest exporters of Cheese in the world today. The average turnover of the dairy industry is around EUR 7 billion.

FACT #6: Gin was invented in the Netherlands. Popularly known as "jenever", it was originally used for medicinal purposes in the 16th century.

FACT #5: The Dutch are the tallest people in the world with an average height of 184 cm for men and 170 cm for women. Some believe this is a combined result of DNA and Dairy!

FACT #4: One of the many attractions of Holland are the windmills. Did you know the Dutch build these windmills for corn milling, saw milling, and land drainage? Dutch windmills are quite primitive; they use canvas sails and were adjusted with a hand crank. Nowadays the windmills are used mainly for tourist attractions.

FACT #3: The world's largest flower garden, located in South Holland, in a small town called Lisse. The garden, plants approximately 7,000,000 flowerbulbs annually. The garden opens annually from the last week of March to mid-May.

FACT #2: Before the Euro was instated, the Dutch money (known as the guilder) had its own style. It was very colorful and unlike many currencies, the pictures on it depicted things and not people. The only note that had the image of a person was the 1000 guilders note.

FACT #1:It's estimated that during the Golden Age (1580-1670), when Dutch painters were among the best of the world, 5 million paintings were made. Almost every Dutch home had at least one painting.

A painting of the famous Dutch painter, Paulus Potter (1625 - 1654)

It's estimated that during the Golden Age (1580-1670), when Dutch painters were among the best of the world, 5 million paintings were made. Almost every Dutch home had at least one painting.